Longtime San Francisco Church Sees Quick Return on Lighting Investment

Longtime San Francisco Church Sees Quick Return on Lighting Investment

Older congregational buildings are ideal candidates for modern efficiency retrofits. The Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco has been serving its community since 1853, and in 2012, it was time for an upgrade. The church fully renovated the lighting in its library, chapel, sanctuary, meeting and music rooms, kindergarten, lounge area, hallways, and offices. It swapped out the 200-watt incandescent bulbs for 17-watt LEDs in the sanctuary. Though there was some initial concern over the aesthetics of the new LEDs, the church was pleased with the mood the new lighting created. Additional benefits included reduced maintenance costs of replacing the incandescent bulbs. The total cost of the lighting renovations was $30,020, with $27,920 being covered by a utility incentive program. With Calvary paying $2,100 and seeing annual savings of $12,860, the payback period was only two months!